As a Californian, country traditionalist Gary Allan came by his Merle Haggard/Buck Owens-inspired sound naturally. From his 1996 debut on, he never dropped his twang or his honky-tonk groove, regardless of changing fashions. GREATEST HITS chronicles a decade of Allan's honest, sometimes emotionally intense country music. Over the years, he ranged from purposefully retro tracks somewhat akin to Dwight Yoakam's early material, to rougher-edged tunes whose gravitas was hard-earned in the wake of personal trauma. For the faithful, a couple of previously unreleased songs are included here, which hint at an expanded sonic palette for this reliably roots-conscious country star.